Chapter 43: The Mad King's Pyre, and Winter's Covert Storm
The fragile peace of Aerys II Targaryen's reign, already fractured by his growing madness, shattered completely in the two hundred and eighty-second year After the Conquest. The abduction of Lyanna Stark of Winterfell – daughter of Lord Rickard Stark, Warden Edwyle's most prominent mortal kinsman and vassal – by Crown Prince Rhaegar Targaryen was the spark that ignited a realm-wide conflagration. When Lord Rickard and his hot-headed heir, Brandon Stark, rode south to King's Landing demanding justice, they were met not with royal reason, but with the full, horrific force of Aerys's paranoia.
News of their brutal, fiery executions reached the North like a blast of unnatural, searing heat. Lord Rickard, cooked alive in his own armor while his son Brandon strangled himself trying to reach a sword to save him – such barbarity was beyond even the darkest tales of ancient Northern kings. A collective howl of grief and outrage rose from every corner of the North. Aerys then compounded his madness by demanding that Lord Jon Arryn of the Vale deliver the heads of his wards: Eddard Stark, Lord Rickard's second son and now, by tragic default, Lord of Winterfell, and Robert Baratheon, Lyanna's betrothed and a man whose fury was as legendary as his strength.
Warden Edwyle Stark, his public persona that of a Northman in his ninth decade (his true age now well over a century and a quarter), publicly condemned the Mad King's atrocities with a cold, measured fury that resonated throughout his kingdom. He received Jon Arryn's call to arms, and Eddard Stark's impassioned plea for Northern justice, with solemn gravity.
Within the hidden immortal council, the debate was intense, though brief. Jon Stark, his ancient eyes reflecting the grim inevitability of conflict, listened as his descendants voiced their opinions.
"Aerys has declared war on honor, on fealty, on sanity itself," Beron the Elder, his voice a low rumble from the obsidian mirror, stated. "To stand aside now, when our own (mortal) blood has been so barbarically shed, when a tyrant seeks to murder the rightful Lord of Winterfell, would be an abdication of our duty to the North, however hidden our true role."
"Neutrality has served us well," Cregan Sr. countered, his pragmatism evident. "But neutrality in the face of such madness invites that madness to turn fully upon us eventually. Aerys, unchecked, is a threat to everything we have built, to the very secrecy of our existence if his paranoia leads him to truly probe the North's 'uniqueness'."
Jon Stark finally spoke, his voice carrying the weight of nearly four centuries. "The Long Night is our ultimate enemy. All else is prelude. However, a realm consumed by a Mad King's fire is a realm unready for the true Winter. Aerys, in his current state, is a cancer. He threatens the stability of Westeros, a stability we require, however flawed, to continue our preparations unmolested. The mortal Starks of Winterfell are our kin, our public face. An attack on them of this magnitude cannot be ignored without undermining the very foundations of our House's public authority."
His decision was clear, a subtle but profound shift from their long-standing policy of absolute non-interference in southern wars. "Warden Edwyle," Jon commanded, "you will publicly sanction Lord Eddard Stark's calling of the Northern banners. The North will join Lord Arryn and Lord Baratheon in this rebellion. However, our true strength – our dragons, our immortal riders, our deepest magic – will remain shielded. This will be a war fought by mortal men, with mortal steel, for mortal stakes. Our role will be to ensure the North's absolute security, to provide covert support where it aligns with our long-term interests, and to observe, to learn, and to be ready for the aftermath."
And so, Winter joined the storm. Eddard Stark, a quiet, honorable young man thrust into a role he never sought, his heart heavy with grief and a burning desire for justice, rallied the formidable warriors of the North. Warden Edwyle, with the full backing of the hidden council, provided him with the North's full (mundane) military and logistical support.
Amidst this martial fervor, another carefully orchestrated transition took place. Warden Edwyle Stark, his "long and arduous reign" lauded, his "great age" finally catching up to him in these "troubled times," announced his intent to pass the Wardenship to his son, Willam. His "death," peaceful and dignified, was mourned by a North already girding for war. Edwyle, rider of the psychic Umbra, then joined the ever-growing council of "deceased" Stark lords in their hidden sanctums, his centuries of wisdom now added to their collective. Nine "dead" Stark Lords, plus Jon himself, now formed the core of the hidden strategists.
Willam Stark, his true age now approaching a century but his Elixir-sustained form that of a powerful man in his prime, was acclaimed Warden of the North. His first public act was to reaffirm the North's commitment to the rebellion against the Mad King, his calm resolve inspiring confidence in his people. He was known as a skilled warrior (rider of the radiant Lumen), a wise administrator, and a worthy successor to his "father."
While Eddard Stark led the Northern armies south, the immortal Starks implemented their covert support strategy. Jon, from his Frostfangs command center, orchestrated these efforts with chilling precision.
The Starksteel forges at Wyvern's Eyrie, under the direction of Rickard Sr. and Cregan Sr., produced a limited number of exceptional, yet not overtly magical-appearing, weapons and armor. Eddard Stark found himself "discovering" a cache of "ancient Stark ancestral armor" in the Winterfell crypts – a suit of dark, subtly shimmering plate that was lighter, stronger, and more resilient than any other. His closest commanders and companions received "heirloom" longswords of unparalleled sharpness and durability. No one questioned the provenance of these "lucky finds" amidst the urgency of war.
The Starks' intelligence network, augmented by Edwyle's Umbra and its ability to subtly probe minds and project illusions, provided Eddard with invaluable, timely information on Royalist troop movements, Aerys's increasingly erratic commands, and the shifting allegiances of southern houses. This intelligence often arrived via "anonymous sources" or "captured enemy dispatches," allowing Eddard to anticipate enemy strategies and make crucial tactical decisions.
Arya Stark, with Lyanna Sr., Serena, Lyra Sr., Arsa, and Lyarra the Younger, used their profound connection to the North's awakened ley line network and weirwood consciousness to subtly influence events. During key battles involving Northern forces, unseasonable fogs would roll in to confuse Royalist archers, or sudden downpours would turn battlefields into quagmires for Targaryen heavy cavalry. Northern borders were wreathed in subtle enchantments that discouraged Targaryen patrols or opportunistic raiders, the land itself seeming to guard its own.
Jon Stark also authorized the discreet use of the Grand Philosopher's Stone's transmutative properties to bolster the Northern war chest, ensuring Eddard's army was always well-supplied, its soldiers well-paid, a stark contrast to Aerys's increasingly beggared forces. This was done through "unexpectedly rich silver finds" in remote Northern mines, the wealth carefully laundered through legitimate channels.
The immortal dragonriders themselves – Willam on Lumen, Artos on Kratos, Rodrik on Glacies, and their immortal fathers and grandfathers on their own mighty steeds – maintained a constant, unseen vigil over the North. Wyvern's Eyrie was on high alert, its dragons ready to defend their homeland against any conceivable threat, their "dragon song" a silent, resonating shield. They conducted high-altitude reconnaissance flights, their forms cloaked in powerful illusions, monitoring the progress of the war from afar, their true power an ultimate, unspoken deterrent.
The war raged across the Seven Kingdoms. The Battle of Gulltown, Ashford, the Stoney Sept – news of victories and defeats, of heroism and brutality, reached the hidden council. They observed Robert Baratheon's reckless courage, Jon Arryn's steady leadership, Hoster Tully's strategic pragmatism, and Eddard Stark's quiet honor. They also observed the fissures within the Targaryen loyalists, the wavering allegiances, the growing desperation.
The Battle of the Trident was the turning point. Jon, through his most powerful scrying devices, witnessed Rhaegar Targaryen's valiant, if doomed, charge, and his death at the hands of Robert Baratheon's warhammer. "Prophecy has claimed another prince," Jon mused, his voice devoid of emotion. "His quest for his 'three heads of the dragon' has ended in the mud of the Trident, and likely doomed his house."
With Rhaegar dead, Aerys II's madness reached its apotheosis. He planned to burn King's Landing to the ground with wildfire rather than surrender it. The Sack of King's Landing by Tywin Lannister's forces, and Jaime Lannister's slaying of the Mad King, brought an end to nearly three centuries of Targaryen rule.
Robert Baratheon, First of His Name, was proclaimed King of the Seven Kingdoms.
The hidden Stark council convened, their obsidian mirrors reflecting the images of eleven ageless guardians. Warden Willam Stark publicly offered his fealty to the new King, but the council's private deliberations were focused on the future.
"A Baratheon king," Beron the Elder said. "A warrior, not a scholar or a sorcerer. His legitimacy is built on rebellion and conquest, not ancient lineage or divine right."
"He is strong, but also ruled by his passions," Edric added. "His friendship with Eddard Stark is a boon for the North's influence, at least for now. But his reign will likely be one of feasting and fighting, not quiet governance."
"And the Targaryen threat is not entirely extinguished," Cregan Sr. cautioned. "Viserys and Daenerys Targaryen survive in exile. The Blackfyre legacy taught us that pretenders can plague a dynasty for generations."
Jon Stark listened, his gaze fixed on the long, unending vista of time. "The Targaryen dragons are gone from the world, save for those hidden by us. Their fire magic is largely lost. This new Baratheon dynasty, built on a coalition of ambitious lords, will be inherently less stable, more prone to internal strife, than even the Targaryens in their decline. This presents both opportunities and dangers for us."
He continued, "Our path remains unchanged. We ensure the North's autonomy and strength. We continue our preparations for the Long Night. This Robert Baratheon, and his successors, are but fleeting figures in our eternal vigil. Eddard Stark, as Lord of Winterfell and Hand to his friend Robert (as Jon foresaw he would likely become), will be our primary public interface with the South. He is honorable, but mortal, and unaware of our deepest truths. Warden Willam, you must guide him subtly, ensure his loyalty to the North's interests always comes first, even before his loyalty to his king."
The Rebellion was over. A new king sat the Iron Throne. But for Jon Stark and the immortal guardians of Winterfell, the great wheel of history had simply completed another turn. The true enemy still waited beyond the Wall, its shadow lengthening with each passing century. Their work, their vigil, their secret war for the dawn, continued, unabated, their resolve as unyielding as the ancient ice, their hidden dragons a promise of a fire that would one day meet the endless winter. The game of thrones was over, for now. The game of survival had never ended.